European Migration and Asylum Policies : Coherence or Contradition ?

Being aware of the significance of the new challenges raised by the European asylum and immigration policy this book presents an evaluation of ten years of EU migration and asylum policymaking under the Tampere, The Hague and Stockholm programmes. The European Union has been calling for a stricter control of migratory flows while at the same time pleading in favour of development of countries of origin and transit and respect for asylum seekers’ rights. However, the regulations and tools to be used in order to achieve the first objective do not seem to be compatible with the second purpose and the full respect of international law on human rights. This volume offers an overview and a comprehensive approach of the developments in four core topics of the European asylum and immigration policy: the right to asylum; border controls and the fight against irregular migration and human trafficking; legal migration and integration; and the synergy between migration and development. This publication is the fruit of the Scribani International Conference held in Madrid in 2010 at the University Institute for Migration Studies of the Comillas Pontifical University, which offered an excellent opportunity to bring together experts and young researchers of various EU countries and from different disciplines within the social sciences.